Looking to capture the youngest demo of sports fans, the New York Yankees’ YES network is going for a home run with an original 2D-animated series. 

Bronx Buds (six x seven minutes) is slated to debut on the northeast US regional sports network’s app on August 17, with a new episode rolling out every Saturday until October. 

The toon depicts the daily lives of The Pinstripes, a youth baseball team living in the Bronx. LA’s Tzero Studios—founded by actor Justin Shenkarow (Hey Arnold!) and animation artist Tom Borowski (Infinity Train)—produced the project. 

The series is designed for multiple age brackets, helped by the natural co-view appeal of sports content, says Shenkarow. “Our target audience is ages two to 11, but the show’s themes of friendship, teamwork and perseverance make it enjoyable for the whole family,” he says, adding that the bite-sized eps resulted from internal research that found this format hitting the sweet spot in capturing kids’ attention. 

The timing is advantageous right now, given the “strong demand for sports-based content in the kids’ TV landscape,” he notes, adding that the baseball-themed Bronx Buds could help fill this gap. 

The YES app, which rolled out in March 2021, provides access to a live stream of the YES Network, telecasts of Yankees and Nets games and exclusive shows like Home Plate: New York and Bronx Beat. Registered users of the app within the network’s coverage territory (New York, Connecticut, north and central New Jersey and northeastern Pennsylvania) will be able to watch Bronx Buds, along with subscribers of the YES national feed across the US who have the app.

US cookware company HexClad—the official kitchenware partner of the Yankees and YES—is attached as a sponsor (the series’ full name is HexClad Presents Bronx Buds).